"The Talty Millions": Lawyers, Liars, Inheritance, Disinheritance and the Great Crash of 1929

TV series like:
- Heir Hunters (BBC) and
- Dead Money (RTÉ) with Steven and Kit Smyrl
highlight the problem (forensic genealogy) of locating missing heirs to those who have died intestate (without a will), leaving no immediate family.
A problem for genealogists of a past generation could become a dream for genealogists of a future generation.
What could be better than:
1. to find an ancestor who was an heir in an old intestacy case;
2. to find the very voluminous legal file relating to the case in the attic or the courthouse or the National Archives; or even
3. to find two such ancestors (e.g. Talty Millions; Waldron v. Dee)?
This talk will tell the story of T. J. Talty, who left Miltown Malbay for the U.S. in the 1860s and died intestate in Coral Gables, near Miami in Florida, in 1926.
While the case became known as The Talty Millions, the estate was actually valued at only approximately $289,000, including:
- cash, approximately $43,500;
- securities, approximately $123,000, including capital stock of Dade County Security Company par value $40,164.55;
- (promissory?) notes, representing the balance due on property sold by the deceased, approximately $71,000; and
- real estate, estimated to be value for $50,000 (interests in about 78 lots in Broward, Clay, Monroe, Polk, Volusia and Dade counties, Florida).
The story begins with T. J. Talty's
"Certificate of Baptism
Parish of Miltown Malbay Diocese of Killaloe
I hereby certify that Thadeus Talty was baptised according to the Rites of the Holy Catholic Church in the Church of St. Joseph's Parish of Miltown Malbay on the 12th day of December year 1855 by Revd J. Mc'Mahon P.P.
Parents: Thadeus Talty - Margaret Mc'Namara
Sponsors: Honera Mc'Namara
John Canon Hannon Parish Priest
Date 19th June 1926
To/ Mr Thomas Talty, Miltown Malbay." [T.J.'s first cousin]

The Taltys of Coor (Generation 1)

Thadeus Talty senior, father of T.J., was from Coor West townland (Kilmurry Ibrickan parish).
T. J.'s paternal grandparents' tombstone in Killernan reads:
"Erected by John Talty of Coor in memory of his beloved Father Peter Talty who died Oct 6th 1844 aged 66 years also his beloved mother Mary Talty alias Callinan who died May 2nd 1879 aged 92 years (side two) Erected by John Talty of Coor in memory of his beloved wife Catherine Talty alias Mahony died Jan 15th 1897 aged 64 years."
Taltys of West Coor are first mentioned in the 1821 List of Freeholders:
- John Talty of Coor had a 40 shilling freehold at Scrapul, leased from Denis Shannon, registered 19 Jul 1813, life or other tenure Patrick Hehir
- Timothy Talty of West Coor had a 40 shilling freehold at West Coore [sic], leased from Wm. Casey, Esq., registered 9 Jan 1815, life or other tenure Thomas Morony, Esq
- John Talty of West Coor had a 40 shilling freehold at West Coore [sic], leased from Wm. Casey, Esq., registered 22 Jan 1816, life or other tenure Thomas Morony, Esq
Several generations of the Casey family were middlemen in Coor and surrounding townlands from at least 1746 (Thomond papers, Petworth House archives, West Sussex; Landed Estates online database)
The precise relationship of the Talty Freeholders to the Peter Talty named on the tombstone (b. Abt 1777/8, with several children apparently born before 1821) remains speculative.
The Tithe Applotment Book (TAB) of 29 Oct 1825 has two entries for John Talty and one for Peter Talty in Coore.
Franchise qualification raised to 10 pounds for 1829 List of Freeholders which has no Talty in Coor(e)
Catholic baptismal records for united parishes of Kilfarboy and Kilmurry Ibrickane survive (in Miltown Malbay registers) from 1831
Recapitulation of the Tithe Applotment Book of 1834 has the same three entries in Coore.
The original TAB on the National Archives website shows that Peter and John had identical holdings of 2 acres of 1st quality, 5a 3r 0p of 2nd quality and 3 acres of 3rd quality, liable for 5s 3.5d. Further down the page, John had an additional 1r 1p each of 2nd and 3rd quality, liable for a further one shilling and a halfpenny. (Area in Irish acres; 1 Irish mile = 14/11 statute miles; 1 Irish acre = 196/121 statute acres.)
Until Fr. McGuane P.P. died in 1839, the two parishes were administered jointly (see here and Limerick Chronicle 30 Mar 1839: 'The Rev. Anthony M`Guane, P.P. of Miltown and Kilmurry, county Clare.')
Some townlands in Kilmurry Ibrickane civil parish remained in Miltown Malbay Catholic parish
Around the same time, Kilfarboy civl parish and eight townlands in Kilmurry Ibrickane civil parish were assigned to Ennistimon Poor Law Union, and the remainder of Kilmurry Ibrickane civil parish to Kilrush Poor Law Union.
Separate baptismal records for Kilmurry Ibrickane survive from 1839.
We know from the tombstone that Peter Talty died in 1844.
In Griffith's Valuation (20 Aug 1855), Captain Francis Casey was now landlord in Coor, West
Peter Talty's TAB holding is presumably the house and offices with rateable annual valuation of 15 shillings on 32a 3r 35p (No. 44) held by his widow Mary. (Area in statute acres.)
John Talty's TAB holdings are presumably Nos. 39, 40, 41, 42 (house), 43 and 45 (co-occupied) held by the same or a younger John Talty (plots of 1a 3r 5p, 2a 0r 35p, 1a 0r 26p, 21a 3r 20p and 11a 2r 16p, totalling 38a 2r 22p and a house with rateable annual valuation of 10 shillings).
They had several subtenants in houses with rateable annual valuations of 2 shillings, 5 shillings and 10 shillings.
The layout of these holdings on the map, and the fact that two were of identical area and quality in the Tithes, certainly suggests that they were originally one holding which at some stage had been subdivided. Cornelius Gleeson's and Patrick O'Brien's fields were also scattered between Talty fields.
Maps
- OSI
- Google maps
- Clare County Library: Kilmurry-Ibrickan and Kilfarboy
- Griffith's Valuation (free version): occupiers; right-click Map Views icon; open link in new tab; and zoom in; see screen grab
- Google Street View: Doonogan P.O.? (not in Doonogan townland?) John's farm? (Pilkingtons' since William Pilkington married Margaret Talty circa 1860)
Civil records of births, marriages and deaths begin in 1864
Civil records for Kilfarboy civil parish are indexed as Ennistimon PLU; those for most of Kilmurry Ibrickane civil parish are indexed as Kilrush PLU.
Civil records include only the youngest grandchildren of Peter Talty and Mary Callinan
Children of Peter Talty and Mary Callinan
1. Michael Talty (92, not married, in Census, 31 Mar 1901; 96, widower, when he died 15 Oct 1901). No known issue.
2. Timothy Talty, father of T. J.
3. Peter (d. 7 Mar 1886 aged 74)
  - 2 children
  - of Henry Street, Dublin (part of Arnott's department store today)
  - gave his name to the Talty Farthing:
  - 1 farthing = 0.1322644 euro cent
  - Description: Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria to left: "TALTY, MURPHY & Co. 9 & 10, HENRY ST. DUBLIN". Reverse: Legend on five lines, the top and bottom curved: "TRIMMINGS, HABERDASHERY, BERLIN WOOLS HOSIERY, SHIRTS, GLOVES &c."
  - For Peter's life story, see presentation to Clare Association Dublin
4. John (c.1822-1901), inherited home farm, 7 children born, 5 survived
5. Ann (c.1830-c.1905), emigrated to Massachusetts, m. Henry Mead, 4 children born, 2 survived
6. Mary, d. unmarried
7. Margaret, d. without issue
8. Hugh, d. before 1850
Grandchildren who claimed shares in T. J. Talty's estate: 2 Taltys from Dublin + 5 Taltys from Coor + 2 Meads from Massachusetts = 9

The McNamaras of Kilclehaun

See Reports and Returns Relating to Evictions in the Kilrush Union in the Parliamentary Papers 1849 (1089) XLIX (p.12), specifically in the report and return from Captain Kennedy, the Poor Law Inspector for the Kilrush Union, to the Poor Law Commissioners dated July 5, 1848 relating to `900 houses, containing probably 4,000 occupants [...] levelled in this Union since last November'
PDF of original (13.1MB) was available at http://eppi.dippam.ac.uk/pdf1/12517.pdf
LIST of FAMILIES Expelled and Houses Levelled on the Lands of Kilclohane, the Estate of Messrs. Thady and William McMahon.
Children of Michael McNamara and Bridget Cunningham
1. Patrick (b.1808, emigrated and disappeared without trace)
2. Mary (c.1810-1833), m. Tim Killeen, bur. Kilmurry Ibrickane under her maiden name, no issue
3. Margaret, mother of T. J. Talty
4. Thomas (d.1886 aged 65) of Cloonnagarnaun, 1 child, d. unmarried
5. John (1821-1898), married (24 Jan 1858) Bridget Downes, 3 children born, two baptised in Miltown Malbay parish and the third in Kilmurry Ibrickan parish, 1? survived
6. Michael (1821-1894), of Craggaknock East, 7 children born, 3 survived
7. Thady McNamara (c.1830-1908), of Craggaknock East, married (1865) Bridget Hogan, 11 children born, 9 survived
8. Hanora (c.1832-c.1907), presumably T. J. Talty's godmother, married (1868) Thomas Crowley, the poet, a widower, of Cloonnagarnaun, 1 child
Grandchildren entitled to share in T. J. Talty's estate: 1 Crowley + 1? + 3 + 9 McNamaras, all from Craggaknock East = 14

The Taltys of Knockanalban and Miltown Malbay (Generation 2)

`Margaret McNamara who married Timothy Talty of Mountscott [Knockanalban] and lived there and from there they emigrated to Miltown Town where they had a business and some of their family were born at Miltown and some at Mountscott. Those born in Mountscott baptised in Mullagh and those born at Miltown baptised in Miltown and these latter included Timothy J. otherwise Thaddeus Talty the Decd. Intestate.'
Griffith's Valuation on 12 Sep 1855 lists both Timothy Talty in Knockanalban, also renting from Capt. Francis Casey (no. 69 on screen grab, about half a mile north west of his home place) and Thady Talty at 14 Main Street in the part of the town of Miltown Malbay in the townland of Leagard, South (screen grab)
Seven children born between Abt 1837 and 1855
Gone from Valuation Office cancelled books by Feb 1865
Mother and four children (Peter, Michael, Margaret, Honora) died in Massachusetts between Aug 1865 and Sep 1871
Father (peddler) died in Lowell, MA, 1 Feb 1884 (9th last line on page)
Anna (Mrs. Webber) died in New Smyrna, Florida in 1924
T. J. died in Coral Gables on 1 Apr 1926
death registered by his maternal first cousin James McNamara
What happened to Mary, chr. 14 Feb 1841, Kilmurry Ibrickane parish?
Letter 27 Jul 1927 from Michael Killeen, Solr., Kilrush to John J. Dwyer, Attorney, Wall Street:
- `You will notice that John McNamara of Moveen states in his deposition that the deceased Thadeus J. Talty and his sister Anna Talty had 2 other sisters Nora and Mary and 2 brothers Peter and Michael. John McNamara knew them all right well before they emmigrated [sic] to America. The latter 4 Nora, Mary, Peter and Michael must have died in America unmarried because Anna Webber when she was home never said anything about her having any nephews or neices [sic] or about there being anyone in the family outside except herself and Thaddeus the deceased.'
Peter married a widow in Lowell, MA on 18 Apr 1865 and probably had a son Timothy (U.S. censuses 1870, 1880)

T. J. Talty's journey from Miltown to Miami

Knockanalban and Miltown Malbay, 1855-c.1865

Variously known as Timothy, Thady, Thadeus (one D), Thaddeus (two Ds), Theobald (with an A), Theodore, Theobold (with two Os)
His death certificate gives his FULL NAME as just `T. J. Talty'

Massachusetts c.1865-1879

Cincinnati, OH c.1879-1887

Proved elusive in U.S. censuses for a long time
1880 census (line 40)
1880-2: clerk at Indiana House 161-167 W. 5th St., Cincinnati, Ohio
1883-6: clerk at the Hotel Emery on Vine St. between 4th and 5th Sts. in Cincinnati
The Emery Arcade connected the Emery Hotel and Race Street one block west. Built in 1877 it predated shopping malls with stores, offices, a restaurant, and hotel all under one roof. The glass roof was 40 feet in height, with two stories on each side The arcade passageway was 15 feet wide with gaslights hung in the center. This arcade was destroyed in 1929 to make way for the Carew Tower.
1887: Gibson Hotel on Walnut Street, Cincinnati

Salt Springs, GA 1888-1889

1888: `SWEET WATER PARK HOTEL SALT SPRINGS, GA. E. W. MARSH & CO., Proprietors. Within 20 miles of the City of Atlanta, on the Georgia Pacific R.R. This magnificent hotel was opened to visitors May 1st, 1888. Capacity, 500 GUESTS. It affords every luxury desired to the pleasure seeker and invalid. Altitude 1200 ft. Temperature: Summer, 75 to 90; Winter, 40 to 60. Guests are supplied in the Hotel with the famous Bowden LithiaWater, for drinking and baths. Sanitary arrangements unsurpassed. Entire Hotel lighted with electricity. Grounds beautifully laid out in lawns, terraces, fountains, and walks. Livery for driving or saddle. For terms, &c., address T. J. TALTY, Manager.'

Chattanooga, TN 1890-1891

1890/1: T. J. Talty steward, Lookout Inn, Chattanooga, TN. The Lookout Inn was built across from the present Incline station between 1887 and 1890. This hotel opened on 2 Jun 1890 and, although thought to be fireproof, burned on 17 Nov 1908. It was "a beautiful structure, located on the eastern face of old Lookout at its summit. Three hundred and sixty five feet in length and four stories in height, its external appearance is exceedingly striking, its fine proportions and architectural beauty being grandly displayed by its surroundings of oak and pine forests. The hotel affords accommodations for five hundred guests, and the private apartments are unusually spacious." (see Chattanooga Times Free Press 4 Jan 2009; Volume 11, No. 2 of the Chattanooga Regional Historical Journal)

Chicago, IL 1892-1894

steward at the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago (picture)
connected with Palmer House, Chicago (picture)

Washington, DC 1895-1908

1 Jan 1895 - Raleigh Hotel opened near the White House in Washington D.C. with T. J. Talty as Manager for 14 years
1900 census (line 67)
21 Mar 1904 - almost moved to St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco when it opened
18 Apr 1906 - San Francisco earthquake, St. Francis Hotel gutted by fire
8 Dec 1906 - ex-Senator Arthur Brown fatally shot in his room at the Raleigh Hotel
In a 1940 novel called `In The Money' by William Carlos Williams, published by New Directions, one of the characters, Joe, wrote to another, Gurlie, from the Raleigh Hotel in Washington, D.C. As Gurlie perused the envelope before opening it, she thought to herself: `European plan. Absolutely fireproof. That must mean it isn't really. T. J. Talty, Manager. What kind of name is that? Sounds French.'
famed as the inventor of the Killarney cocktail (third paragraph)
international reputation as an innkeeper

Chicago, IL c.1909-1911

Abt. 1909 returned to Auditorium Hotel, Chicago (advertisement near bottom of second column)
26 Feb 1911 - T. J. Talty, assistant manager and steward of the Congress hotel, [Chicago], has resigned

North Adams, MA 1911-1918

The Springfield Republican (MA) of Tuesday 24 Oct 1911 reported his next move: "the Richmond-Wellington hotel company sold through the agencies of John J. Fleming of New York and the W. B. Foote company of Pittsfield to T. J. Talty of Washington, D.C., the Richmond and Wellington hotels and the Richmond theater. The property involved is valued at more than $400,000 ... The Wellington hotel, a six-story brick structure containing 126 rooms for guests, was opened November 11, 1899 ... The Richmond Hotel ... contains about 75 guest rooms and is a modern fireproof building in every respect."

`NORTH ADAMS, MASS.
The culmination of the scenic beauty
of the Berkshire hills. At the head of
The Mohawk Trail.
RICHMOND-WELLINGTON HOTELS
European American and
Plan European Plan
T. J. Talty W. A. Newman,
Proprietor Manager'
`A Mecca for Mountain Climbers
Greylock, Hoosac, Williams and Blueberry mountains,
all in the immediate vicinity of the city.'

Richmond Hotel later burned
"For seven years he was owner of the Richmond and Wellington hotels. Under his ownership the two local hotels enjoyed a wide patronage and prospered. In addition to operating hotels, Mr. Talty was interested in affairs of the community and made a number of friends who came to know him as a genial friend and to hold him in high esteem. He had a wide knowledge of literature and art. During his residence he presented North Adams council, Knights of Columbus, with a collection of costly paintings and statuary."

Florida, 1918-1926

From 1918, following his departure from North Adams, Mr. Talty spent a part of each winter at St. Petersburg, Fla., and during the summer months made his home at Saratoga, N. Y.
New Smyrna Daily News, 30 Sep 1921, owned the Alba Court Inn, New Smyrna, FL
Alba Court demolished Abt 19 Oct 2007; photographs by Beth Riches (another photo ; and another)
1924 (North Adams Transcript, 26 Apr 1949, 25 years ago: `Joseph Arigoni, formerly connected with the Richmond Hotel, was appointed manager of Alba Court inn at New Smyrna, Fla., owned by T. J. Talty, former manager of the Richmond.')
21 Dec 1924 - Anna Webber née Talty died aged 74
1 Apr 1926 - T. J. Talty died aged 70
5 Apr 1926 - obituary in North Adams Transcript

The lawyers (& aspiring politicians)

Paul C. Taylor, Miami, attorney for administrator, James McNamara, co-heir
Michael Killeen (1880-1957), solicitor, Kilrush
- son of Patrick Killeen and Susan Blackall of Molosky House
- uncle of Mary T. Killeen (1928-1987) and Josephine Griffin née Killeen (1930-2010)
- father-in-law of Sir Paget John Bourke (1906-1983, uncle of Mary Robinson née Bourke)
- probably second cousin once removed of Mary Anne Clancy who married John McNamara of Moveen, co-heir of T. J. Talty
his successor Michael J. McMahon (1904-1986), who took over the practice when Killeen became County Registrar
their New York agent John J. Dwyer attorney-at-law, born Northern Ireland, leading heir hunter of his day
his replacement, James H. Gilvarry, attorney and counsellor at law, Brooklyn
Gilvarry described Dwyer as `rather a peculiar man to do business with, in other words, he will not give you any information if he can avoid doing so'
Gerald Burns, son-in-law of co-heir John McNamara of Moveen, future Fianna Fáil county councillor

Chronology of legal proceedings

1 Apr 1926 - T. J. Talty died aged 70. "J." Talty notified by telegram
10 May 1926 - letter from Taylor to McNamara cousins in Ireland
12 Jun 1926 - Pat McNamara (Behan) of Tullaroe signed an authorisation in favour of Michael Killeen and John J. Dwyer
27 Jun 1926 - Thomas J. Talty left Cobh for New York on board the S.S. Adriatic to look after the interests of the heirs and remained in the U.S. for over two years, based in Chattanooga, TN
30 Sep 1926 - Inventory and Appraisement filed, value of estate $239,146.76
11 Oct 1926 - power of attorney filed in Miami
23 Apr 1927 - legal notice in Miami Daily News and Metropolis, listing properties
28 May 1927 - second cousins of the deceased on the Cunningham side visited Michael Killeen
22-26 Jul 1927 - taking of evidence before Michael McMahon
26 Jul 1927 - Administrator's fee $17,500 ordered
23 Aug 1927 - first distribution of $59,000
6-7 Sep 1927 - John J. Dwyer and Thomas J. Talty in Miami
25 Nov 1927 - first distribution to Irish heirs - amounts imply that only approx. £5,748 was being distributed
15 Mar 1928 - missing heirs Catherine Talty and Josephine E. O'Donnell added
24 Oct 1928 - Sarah Talty of Dallas visited Michael Killeen in Kilrush to highlight the discrepancies
11 Mar 1929 - death of Martin McNamara, co-heir
26 Mar 1929 - Michael Killeen received written confirmation from Dallas of the discrepancies; relations with Dwyer began to break down
May 1929 - death of Pat Talty, co-heir
29 Jul 1929 - Michael Killeen became County Registrar and moved to Ennis and Michael McMahon took over the practice of Michael Killeen & Co. (now McMahon and Williams Solicitors)
6 Aug 1930 - order for distribution of Receiver's Certificate of Ownership of Dade County Security Company
21 Jan 1931 - the McNamara heirs directed Killeen and Co. to write to John J. Dwyer expressing their desire that the remaining real estate be sold
11 Mar 1932 - liquidator's certificates with par value of $40,164 distributed, estimated to be worth 13% of this
27 Apr 1932 - Gerald Burns married Annie McNamara daughter of John McNamara of Moveen, co-heir
31 May 1932 - first threat to revoke power of attorney
12 Oct 1932 - first letter from Gerald Burns to Killeen & Co.
28 Oct 1932 -McNamara heirs in Ireland replaced Dwyer with Gilvarry
22 Nov 1932 - order to pay $3,272.22 each to Catherine Talty and Josephine E. O'Donnell
18 Mar 1933 - McNamara claimants gave Gerald Burns and his brother-in-law Patrick McNamara full power to act for them
1 May 1933 - letter from Gerald Burns dismissing Killeen & Co
21 Jul 1933 - Gerald Burns threatens to call in the Incorporated Law Society
3 Nov 1933 - McNamaras of Craggaknock `never gave Gerald Burns ... authority to take the matter out of ... hands' of Killeen & Co
18 Dec 1933 - death of Patrick McNamara (Behan), co-heir
19 Mar 1934 - Taylor to Gilvarry: `If the real estate cannot be sold it will be lost because of non-payment of taxes'
Sep 1935 - Killeen & Co. handed over file to McNamara family
11 Oct 1935 - case finally closed in Miami
7 Jan 1936 - death of John McNamara of Moveen, co-heir
30 Jan 1936 - last letter from John J. Dwyer
Aug 1937 - further estate located in Texas
22 Dec 1937 - Gladys V. Sullivan, Clerk, County Judge's Court, sends copies of documents to Irish Consul in New York
20 Mar 1938 - Sullivan writes to Irish Consul `The file in this case is very voluminous'
1955 Gerald Burns elected County Councillor

The heirs and their descendants

Florida law is per stirpes - children of pre-deceased first cousins take their parent's share
law in other places is per capita - surviving first cousins take the shares of pre-deceased first cousins
I have found photographs of only two of the numerous heirs and would like to find others.
Paternal (Talty) first cousins (three families, nine one-eighteenth shares)
1. (Dublin) Catherine Talty, Mother de Sales, Presentation nun (1849-1937)
  living in Hospital, Co. Limerick in 1901 and 1911
  No descendants
2. (Dublin) Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cassidy née Talty, (1845-1910)
  represented by her only surviving child, Mrs. Josephine Elizabeth O'Donnell (1877-1954) of Leinster Square, Rathmines
  No descendants
3. (Massachusetts) Henry Patrick Mead(e)
  Married (1) Delia Crowe (2) Annie Gilligan
  Possible descendants
4. (Massachusetts) Mrs. Mary E. Leahy née Meade
  Possible descendants
5. (Coor) Peter John Talty b. 1855, d. Dallas, TX, 1920
  represented by his nine children, including Mother Mary Ruth, O.S.U., 1901-2004
  Many living descendants in Texas
6. (Coor) Thomas J. Talty, b. Coor West, of Chattanooga, TN and Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare
  Living descendants in Kilrush, etc.
7. (Coor) Patrick John Talty, b. Coor West, 1861, of Quilty, Co. Clare, d. 1929
  involved in the rescue of the crew of the Leon XIII which was shipwrecked off Quilty in early October 1907 (front right in photograph)
  Married Mary Kelly, no issue.
8. (Coor) Mrs. Margaret Sexton née Talty, b. Coor West, 1868, of Doonogan Castle, Co. Clare
  Descendants still in Doonogan, etc.
9. (Coor) John M. Talty, Coor West
  Inherited home place
  Descendants ran Doonogan Post Office
  Many descendants still in locality (Clogher Road, Caherush, etc.; incl. J. C. Talty, piper; Monday's hosts at Wild Irish Seaweed etc.)
Maternal (McNamara) first cousins (four families, fourteen one-twenty-eighth shares)
1. (Cloonnagarnaun) Patrick J. Crowley, b. 1869, of The Bronx
  grandfather of double lottery winner Joseph Patrick Crowley
2. (John's child) Michael McNamara, died, twenty days before his father, `from injuries sustained by a blow of a stone inflicted by Martin Egan', 29 Sep 1898 after a faction fight at Craggaknock, Co. Clare
  represented by the six survivors of his family of eight children
  Probable descendants in Liverpool and elsewhere
3. (Michael's child) John McNamara, b. Kilclehaun or Craggaknock, Abt 1848, of Moveen West, Co. Clare, d. 1936
  Many descendants, including Waldrons
4. (Michael's child) Patrick McNamara (Behan), b. Craggaknock, 1854, of Tullaroe, Co. Clare, d. 1933
  Descendants in Chicago
5. (Michael's child) Michael McNamara, Craggaknock, d. 1909, married his first cousin Margaret McNamara (no. 6)
  represented by their five children
  Four of these five children died unmarried; no known issue of Michael Hehir and the fifth child, Lucy McNamara.
6. (Thady's child) Margaret McNamara née McNamara, in her own right
7. (Thady's child) Patrick McNamara, Craggaknock
  Unmarried at home
8. (Thady's child) Michael J. McNamara, b. Craggaknock, of St. Louis, MO
  Married, no known issue
9. (Thady's child) John McNamara, Craggaknock
  unmarried at home
10. (Thady's child) Timothy McNamara, b. Craggaknock, 1870, d. The Bronx, 1922
  represented by his three surviving children
  Many descendants in New York etc.
  Easily found using facebook or DNA matching
11. (Thady's child) Martin McNamara, b. Craggaknock, 1871, d. 1929
  unmarried at home
12. (Thady's child) Thomas McNamara, Craggaknock
  unmarried at home
13. (Thady's child) James McNamara, the administrator
  at least one daughter, so possible living descendants
14. (Thady's child) Mary McNamara, b. Craggaknock
  of New York
  probably unmarried

The Australian branches

Another DNA match:

he had his matrilineal GGgrandmother as "Bridget McNam"
a little research confirmed that she was a daughter of John McNamara and Bridget Downes who was apparently disinherited
she married Pat McMahon in Coor Chapel on 28 Jan 1879
another transcript available in the parish
civil record gives more details
Pat McMahon (30, laborer, could neither read nor write) and his wife Bridget (20, could both read and write) from Clare, Roman Catholics arrived on the ship Ninuch or Konerch on 9 Jul 1879, so must have emigrated immediately after their marriage.
even if Bridget predeceased T J Talty, her daughter would have been just entitled to a share in the Talty millions as those who received shares.

What about T J Talty's sister Mary?

3 Aug 2007 genforum.com query posted by Christiane Zammit
20 Aug 2007 ancestry.com queries posted
10 Jul 2008 I found them!
Were there `parallel families'?
If not, then the wrong heirs got the Talty millions
marriage certificate
descendants documented several times at ancestry.com: 1 (private) 2 (private) 3 (public) 4 (public)
Two of Christiane's four closest matches by longest block at FamilyTreeDNA are myself and my first cousin; we are in her top 10 matches at GEDmatch.com

Postscript: The Great Crash of 1929

Quotes from Chapter 1, Section II of The Great Crash, 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1997)
- American people ... displaying an inordinate desire to get rich quickly with a minimum of physical effort
- in the mid-twenties, Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables ... had been struck by the great Florida real estate boom. The Florida boom contained all of the elements of the classic speculative bubble
- men and women had proceeded to build a world of speculative make-believe
- speculation does not depend entirely on the capacity for self-delusion. In Florida land was divided into building lots and sold for a 10 per cent down payment
- The buyers did not expect to live on it
- this dubious asset was gaining in value by the day and could be sold at a handsome profit in a fortnight
- as time passes, the tendency to look beyond the simple fact of increasing values to the reasons on which it depends greatly diminishes
- Through 1925 the pursuit of effortless riches brought people to Florida in satisfactorily increasing numbers
- in the spring of 1926, the supply of new buyers ... began to fail
- In the autumn of 1926, two hurricanes ..
- The end had come in Florida
- Farmers who had sold their land at a handsome price and had condemned themselves as it later sold for double, treble, quadruple the original price, now on occasion got it back through a whole chain of subsequent defaults
- Even as the Florida boom collapsed, the faith of Americans in quick, effortless enrichment in the stock market was becoming every day more evident
Dade County Security Company:
- "First organized in 1901, the Dade County Security Company was one of the most important financial institutions in the County by 1920, and was the largest building and loan society in Florida. The company moved to its NE 1st Avenue location in 1923, retrofitting an existing building to meet its needs. [Soon] finding its existing building too small, [it] embarked on the construction of a new building, which was completed in 1926."
Quote from John J. Dwyer
- 13 Sep 1927: the real estate ... is of uncertain value. Two years ago the price of real estate in that section and throughout Florida had advanced to several times what it was really worth, due to speculation or inflation. Suddenly the price dropped to less than what it was really worth and purchasers sustained losses aggregating many millions of dollars
Quote from James H. Gilvarry
- 13 Mar 1933: The Attorney in Miami for the Estate, claims that the Real Estate was foreclosed but the Courts would not allow him to dispose of it as the price offered was not what the Court considers sufficient so this matter is held in abeyance.